The semiconductor processing industry generally continues to strive for increased uniformity of layers deposited on substrates. For example, with shrinking circuit sizes leading to higher integration of circuits per unit area of the substrate, increased uniformity is generally seen as desired, or required in some applications, in order to maintain satisfactory yields and thereby reduce the cost of fabrication. Various technologies have been developed to deposit layers on substrates in a cost-effective and uniform manner, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD).
However, the inventors have observed that with the drive to produce equipment to deposit more uniformly, certain applications may not be adequately served where purposeful deposition is desired that is not symmetric or uniform with respect to the given structures being fabricated on a substrate.
Accordingly, the inventors have provided improved apparatus and methods for asymmetric deposition of material on substrates.